Hot water mat for floor heating and its installation method

ABSTRACT

A heat radiating pipe ( 2 ) that is disposed in a hot water mat ( 1 ) is extended from the hot water mat ( 1 ) to provide an extended portion that is used as connecting pipes ( 2   a  and  2   b ) to a heat source machine ( 11 ). The construction makes it possible to prevent a water leak as there is no connection therebetween, and reduces costs for parts and installation as no connection tool, such as a coupler, is used. Further, guide pieces ( 13  and  14 ) attached with cover members ( 17 ) are arranged at positions where the connecting pipes ( 2   a  and  2   b ) are extended, and the connecting pipes ( 2   a  and  2   b ) are disposed by using the guide pieces ( 13  and  14 ), so as to efficiently utilize heat radiated from the connecting pipes ( 2   a  and  2   b ), and to prevent thermal loss.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hot water mat for floor heating that uses heat of hot water to heat a room, and its installation method that lays a floor of the room with the hot water mat and installs a flooring material such as a carpet on the top surface of the hot water mat, so as to heat the room from the surface of the floor.

2. Description of the Related Art

The size of the hot water mat is selected according to the size of the room. The hot water mat needs to be connected to a heat source machine (boiler) that is provided outside the room via a connecting pipe, but the position where the mat is laid in the room and the position where the heat source machine is provided are different between one installation site from another.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 8, a hot water mat 1 is laid in a room 12, a heat radiating pipe 2 is disposed in the hot water mat 1, and thereafter, an inlet 3 and an outlet 4 of the heat radiating pipe 2 are coupled to an outlet 7 and an inlet 8 of connecting pipes 5 and 6 by using couplers 9 and 10 and the like.

A reference numeral 11 in the drawing denotes a heat source machine.

Thus, in the conventional art, the heat radiating pipe 2 on the hot water mat 1 side and the connecting pipes 5 and 6 are configured as separate pipes, which results in the following problems.

1. The inlet 3 and the outlet 4 of the heat radiating pipe 2 are coupled to the outlet 7 and the inlet 8 of the connecting pipes 5 and 6 by using the couplers 9 and 10 and the like at the installation site, thus requiring time and efforts for the installation operation, and requiring costs for connection tools to be used, such as the couplers 9 and 10.

2. A water leak may be caused at coupling portions between the heat radiating pipe 2 and the connecting pipes 5 and 6. In addition, pressure loss is caused at the coupling portions.

3. A member to guide the connecting pipes 5 and 6 is manufactured every time, or an existing long member is cut for use according to the length at the worksite, since the connecting pipes 5 and 6 cannot be kept being exposed in the room 12. This processing of the connecting pipes 5 and 6 requires efforts.

4. Thermal loss from the connecting pipes 5 and 6 is large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

The present invention is made in view of the above-described disadvantages, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a hot water mat and its installation method capable of preventing costs and labor at the time of installation, eliminating the possibility of a water leak, reducing pressure loss, disposing a connecting pipe with ease, and preventing thermal loss from the connecting pipe.

Means for Solving the Problems

A first aspect of the present invention is characterized in a hot water mat for floor heating that disposes a heat radiating pipe in a mat body in a meandering manner, circulates hot water sent from a heat source machine through the heat radiating pipe, and returns the looped-back hot water to the heat source machine again, wherein an inlet and an outlet of the hot water of the heat radiating pipe are extended from the mat body to an outer side of the mat body, and an extended portion of the heat radiating pipe is used as a connecting pipe passing through a room and being connected to the heat source machine that is outside the room.

Next, a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in the hot water mat for floor heating according to the first aspect, wherein a guide piece to be used in a path directing the connecting pipe from the mat body to the outside of the room is provided, the guide piece having a thickness that is approximately identical to a thickness of the mat body, having a guide groove of a U-shape cross section that is formed on its top surface so as to receive the connecting pipe, and having a cover member that is attached to cover an upper opening of the guide groove.

Next, a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in the hot water mat for floor heating according to the second aspect, wherein the guide piece has the guide groove whose diameter is slightly larger than an outside diameter of the connecting pipe, and is attached slidably along the connecting pipe when receiving the connecting pipe in the guide groove.

Next, a fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in the hot water mat for floor heating according to the second aspect or the third aspect, wherein the guide piece is attached to the connecting pipe in advance or at an installation site, in a unit of one piece or a plurality of pieces.

Next, a fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in the hot water mat for floor heating according to any one of the second aspect to the fourth aspect, wherein the guide piece is used by being attached to the connecting pipe in advance or in a retrofitting manner.

Next, a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in the hot water mat for floor heating according to any one of the second aspect to the fifth aspect, wherein the guide groove of the guide piece is in a straight line or in a curved line in planar view.

Next, a seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in an installation method of a hot water mat, including the steps of laying a room with a hot water mat of the first aspect, and disposing a connecting pipe in the room by using a guide piece of any one of the second aspect to the sixth aspect.

Effects of the Invention

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the heat radiating pipe of the hot water mat is extended from the mat body, and the extended portion is used as the connecting pipe. Thereby, it is not necessary to connect the heat radiating pipe and the connecting pipe one by one by using a coupler and the like, as is the case of the conventional art. This makes it possible to reduce the costs and labor for the installation at the worksite, to eliminate the possibility of the water leak as there is no connection between pipes, and to reduce the pressure loss.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the connecting pipe can be disposed by using the guide piece having a regular shape, as needed. This makes it possible to save effort at the time of the installation since it is not necessary to manufacture a guide for disposing the connecting pipe at the worksite.

As the cover member is attached to the inlet of the guide groove formed in the guide piece, an applied adhesive is not adhered to the connecting pipe, when the connecting pipe is inserted in the guide groove and aluminum foil is pasted onto its top surface, thus causing no trouble in heat radiation from the connecting pipe. In addition, the aluminum foil and the connecting pipe are not adhered and fixed to each other, and therefore, various installation situations can be dealt with by freely moving the position of the guide piece at a later time.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the position of the guide piece can be adjusted by sliding the guide piece according to the situations at the installation site.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the appropriate disposition of the connecting pipe is possible irrespective of its length, since the number of the guide pieces to be used is identified according to the length of the connecting pipe.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the guide piece may be attached to the connecting pipe in advance, or the guide piece may be attached to the connecting pipe at the worksite according to the situations at the worksite, thus offering greater flexibility in the piping operation.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the guide piece has the guide groove not only in the straight line but also in the curved line. Thereby, a change in the direction of the connecting pipe and the like can be dealt with appropriately.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to dispose the connecting pipe from the hot water mat to the end (edge) of the room with ease and without fail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a hot water mat according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along an A-A′ line;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an installation example using guide pieces;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a guide piece used for a 90° bent part;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a guide piece used for a straight part;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a guide piece with cover members attached to pipe grooves;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing an example in which the guide piece is slid along the connecting pipes and another guide piece is attached therein; and

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the conventional hot water mat and connecting pipe, and an installation example thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

An embodiment of the present invention as described in claim 1 will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3.

A reference numeral 1 denotes a hot water mat for floor heating. On the top surface of the hot water mat 1, a heat radiating pipe 2 is disposed in a meandering manner in a pipe groove 1 a that is formed to have a U-shape cross section, as shown in FIG. 2. The heat radiating pipe 2 is extended from the hot water mat 1 to the outside, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, and this extended portion is used as connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b that pass through floor space of a room 12 to be connected to a heat source machine 11.

Second Embodiment

(Corresponding to Claims 2 to 6)

In FIG. 3, reference numerals 13 and 14 denote guide pieces that are inserted at positions in between where the connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b pass through the floor space of the room and where the connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b reach the heat source machine 11. On the top surfaces of the guide pieces 13 and 14, guide grooves 13 a, 13 b, 14 a, and 14 b for disposing the connecting pipes are formed, and the guide grooves 13 a and 13 b (FIG. 4), each having a circular curved shape, and the guide grooves 14 a and 14 b (FIG. 5), each having a linear shape, are formed so as to follow directions of disposing the connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b.

It should be noted that various guide grooves with different shapes are available. The guide grooves are used for guiding the connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b properly, according to positional relationship between the hot water mat 1 and the heat source machine 11 at the worksite, and are not limited to the guide pieces 13 and 14 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.

In FIG. 6, a reference numeral 17 denotes a cover member that is attached to the upper opening portions of the guide grooves 14 a and 14 b of the guide piece. This cover member 17 is attached in order to prevent an adhesive for pasting an aluminum sheet on the top surface of the guide piece 14 from being adhered to the connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b, and is formed by a material with excellent heat transfer property, such as aluminum foil.

In addition, a clearance may be created between the pipe grooves 13 a, 13 b, 14 a, and 14 b of the guide pieces 13 and 14 and the connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b, so as to allow sliding of the connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b therein. Thereby, for example, the guide piece 14 may be slid to open up the space, as shown in FIG. 7, and another guide piece 14 may be inserted and retrofitted therein.

The cover members 17 may be attached, as shown in FIG. 7, to be able to swing-open. The connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b may be disposed while the cover members 17 are open, as shown in FIG. 7, and thereafter the cover members 17 may be closed.

According to the second embodiment, the cover members 17 are attached to the guide pieces 13 and 14 in advance. However, after the connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b are disposed in the guide pieces 13 and 14 as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the cover members 17 may be attached to the guide pieces 13 and 14 at the worksite, and then the aluminum sheet may be pasted thereon.

Third Embodiment

(Corresponding to Claim 7)

A third embodiment relates to an installation method of the hot water mat 1 of the first embodiment by using the guide pieces 13 and 14. According to this installation method, preprocessing is performed by laying the room 12, in which the hot water mat 1 is installed, with the hot water mat 1 as explained in the first embodiment, arranging the guide pieces 13 and 14 in the space in the room 12 at the position before reaching the heat source machine 11, disposing the connecting pipes 2 a and 2 b in the guide groove 13 a, 13 b, 14 a, and 14 b of the guide pieces 13 and 14, and pasting the cover members 7 thereon, as shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter, the aluminum sheet is pasted onto the top surfaces of the hot water mat 1 and the guide pieces 13 and 14, and a flooring material such as a carpet is placed or pasted onto the top surface of the aluminum sheet. Thus, the installation is finished.

Incidentally, the third embodiment shows the example of retrofitting the cover members 17 onto the guide pieces 13 and 14 after the pipes are disposed. However, when the guide pieces 13 and 14 with the cover members 17 attached thereto are used, the pasting operation of the cover members 17 at the worksite is eliminated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERAL

1 Hot water mat

2 Heat radiating pipe

2 a, 2 b Connecting pipe

11 Heat source machine

12 Room

13, 14 Guide piece

17 Cover member 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hot water mat for floor heating, the hot water mat comprising: a mat body; and a heat radiating pipe disposed in the mat body in a meandering manner, the heat radiating pipe including an extended portion forming a connecting pipe, whereby hot water sent from a heat source machine circulates through the heat radiating pipe, and returns via a hot water loop-back to the heat source machine again, wherein an inlet and an outlet of the hot water of the heat radiating pipe extend from the mat body to an outer side of the mat body, and the extended portion of the heat radiating pipe is used as the connecting pipe passing through a room and being connected to the heat source machine that is outside the room.
 2. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 1, further comprising: a guide piece to be used in a path directing the connecting pipe from the mat body to the outside of the room, the guide piece having a thickness that is approximately identical to a thickness of the mat body and the guide piece having a guide groove of a V-shape or U-shape cross section that is formed on a top surface so as to receive the connecting pipe; and a cover member that is attached to cover an upper opening of the guide groove.
 3. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 2, wherein the guide groove of the guide piece has a diameter that is identical to or slightly larger than an outside diameter of the connecting pipe, and the guide groove is attached slidably along the connecting pipe when receiving the connecting pipe in the guide groove.
 4. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 2, wherein the guide piece is attached to the connecting pipe in a unit of one piece or a plurality of pieces.
 5. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 3, wherein the guide piece is attached to the connecting pipe in a unit of one piece or a plurality of pieces.
 6. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 2, wherein the guide piece is attached to the connecting pipe in advance or in a retrofitting manner.
 7. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 3, wherein the guide piece is attached to the connecting pipe in advance or in a retrofitting manner.
 8. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 4, wherein the guide piece is attached to the connecting pipe in advance or in a retrofitting manner.
 9. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 5, wherein the guide piece is attached to the connecting pipe in advance or in a retrofitting manner.
 10. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 2, wherein the guide groove of the guide piece comprises at least one of a straight line portion and a curved line portion with respect to a planar view.
 11. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 2, wherein the guide groove of the guide piece comprises at least one of a straight line portion and a curved line portion with respect to a planar view.
 12. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 3, wherein the guide groove of the guide piece comprises at least one of a straight line portion and a curved line portion with respect to a planar view.
 13. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 4, wherein the guide groove of the guide piece comprises at least one of a straight line portion and a curved line portion with respect to a planar view.
 14. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 6, wherein the guide groove of the guide piece comprises at least one of a straight line portion and a curved line portion with respect to a planar view.
 15. An installation method of a hot water mat for floor heating, the method comprising the steps of: providing a mat body; providing a heat radiating pipe; disposing the heat radiating pipe in the mat body in a meandering manner to form a hot water mat; laying the hot water mat in a room; and providing the heat radiating pipe with an extended portion forming a connecting pipe, whereby hot water sent from a heat source machine circulates through the heat radiating pipe, and returns via a hot water loop-back to the heat source machine again, wherein an inlet and an outlet of the hot water of the heat radiating pipe extend from the mat body to an outer side of the mat body, and the extended portion of the heat radiating pipe is used as the connecting pipe passing through a room and being connected to the heat source machine that is outside the room.
 16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of: providing a guide piece in a path directing the connecting pipe from the mat body to the outside of the room, the guide piece having a thickness that is approximately identical to a thickness of the mat body and the guide piece having a guide groove of a V-shape or U-shape cross section that is formed on a top surface so as to receive the connecting pipe; and providing a cover member that is attached to cover an upper opening of the guide groove.
 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the guide groove of the guide piece has a diameter that is identical to or slightly larger than an outside diameter of the connecting pipe, and the guide groove is attached slidably along the connecting pipe when receiving the connecting pipe in the guide groove.
 18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the guide piece is attached to the connecting pipe in a unit of one piece or a plurality of pieces.
 19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the guide piece is attached to the connecting pipe in advance or in a retrofitting manner.
 20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the guide groove of the guide piece comprises at least one of a straight line portion and a curved line portion with respect to a planar view. 